Controversial words

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Controversial words
By Melissa

I agree wholeheartedly with the above post. Your students are probably already aware of the word, and some of them may even use it themselves. My advice is to make sure that your students know that it is not acceptable to use in your classroom, except when reading these pieces of literature. I believe that the word should NOT be deleted from the literature because they are a very important part of the message of these stories. It gives a subtle hint at the types of things African-Americans in the time period were subject to every day. I think that this is a powerful message for your students. Talking about the uses of the word in the past and today will help your students and you feel more comfortable about encountering the word in these books. Good Luck.